GAMA BOMB

Thrash Metal • United Kingdom

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GAMA BOMB is UK ( Nothern Ireland) based thrash metal/ crossover act formed in 2002. After releasing a couple of demos the band released their debut full-length studio album "Survival of the Fastest" in 2005. "Citizen Brain" followed in 2008. Their third full-length studio album "Tales from the Grave in Space" was released in 2009. GAMA BOMB play a mix of thrash metal and crossover not far removed from a band like MUNICIPAL WASTE.

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GAMA BOMB Reviews

Northern Ireland's Gama Bomb are often cited as one of the best contemporary bands playing classic crossover thrash, and although it wasn't until 2013's The Terror Tapes that I finally gave the band a listen, this album makes it clear to me why they are so highly regarded by fans of the genre. With their fourth full-length album, Gama Bomb delicately (or not-so-delicately) balances a humorous lyrical approach with killer thrash riffs and irresistible punk energy, resulting in a listen that is nothing but fun from start to finish.

The Terror Tapes doesn't contain anything too revolutionary, but when we're talking about songs with guitar solos as blistering as those heard on “We Started the Fire”, riffs as quirky as the carnival-styled “Terrorscope”, and vocals as powerful as Philly Byrne's performance on “Backwards Bible”, it's clear that this is still a fine example of kick-ass crossover thrash. Established fans of Gama Bomb, as well as followers of bands like Municipal Waste, Birth AD, and Havok, should have no trouble loving these tapes!

Gama Bomb are a band principally from Northern Ireland, who play a very strict 1980’s influenced form of Crossover/Thrash Metal and incorporate a lot of humour into their lyrics.

Tales From The Grave And Space is their third full-length studio album, after 2006’s Survival Of The Fastest and 2008’s Citizen Brain. It was released in 2009 on Earache Records and is currently available for free legal download off of Earache’s website.

The musicianship is absolutely top notch and even more surprisingly, the production is of the absolute highest quality. This album sounds as almost as good in terms of production as other Thrash Metal albums from 2009 from long established bands like Exodus’s Exhibit B and Megadeth’s Endgame.

Highlights include ‘New Eliminators Of Atlantis B.C.’ as well as ‘We Respect You,’ and album closer ‘Mummy Invasion,’ all of which are fast and straightforward thrash metal numbers; mostly with more of an East Coast feel than Bay Area if you want to get more specific. The album is twelve tracks long, clocks in at half an hour in length.

As singer Philly Byrne has been known to say live ‘I hope you like songs that sound exactly like that one.’ Gama Bomb don’t incorporate anything else into their sound other than pure thrash metal; there are no ballads, no atmospheric buildups, no eastern scales and no fifteen minute progressive songs.

If you are a big fan of Nuclear Assault, S.O.D, Sacred Reich and more modern acts like Municipal Waste, SSS and Evile then Gama Bomb are certainly a worthwhile proposition that you should check out.

This album is very strong and no serious complaints can be made about any aspect of it other than the simple fact that it doesn’t come from the 80s and that there isn’t a whole lot of variety on offer, but if you expect any you may be missing the point of this band a little. If you hate humour in your thrash, you also may want to give it a miss, otherwise however Tales From The Grave And Space is a very good album that thrash fans should seriously enjoy.

Survival of the Fastest is the debut full-length studio album by UK ( Northern Ireland) crossover/ thrash metal act Gama Bomb. The album was independently released in a very limited amount of copies in September 2005. Survival of the Fastest has later seen a label release when it was re-released by Witches Brew with two additional tracks taken from the band´s 2004 demo The Fatal Mission.

The music on the album is classic fast-paced crossover/ thrash metal. An old school eighties style that a band like Municipal Waste has also been a succesful exponent of in the last 5 - 10 years. The music is simple, raw and powerful. When it is most hardcore punk influenced I´m reminded a bit of Dayglo Abortions, but Gama Bomb generally put emphasis on their thrash metal elements. The vocals are really enjoyable. They are raw and full of attitude. There are even some high pitched screaming and also occasional riot gang vocals in the music. The 11 tracks on the album are all pretty short ( 2 - 3 minutes in length), but very effective. This is perfect music for drinking beer, putting on your old denim jacket and banging your head til it hurts. The band´s kitchy horror lyrics are of the kind that puts a smile on my face. Songtitles like Zombie Creeping Flesh, Zombie Kommand and Hell Trucker are brilliant in my book. Of course it´s so and so with the originality and the songs are also rather one-dimensional in the end. I can´t say it bothers me much, but I guess the album could have been a bit more diverse.

The production is raw and a bit primitive, but it´s still pretty enjoyable. After all it´s an independent release.

Survival of the Fastest is not the best crossover/ thrash metal release I´ve ever heard, but it´s an enjoyable album that fully deserves a 3 star rating.